Have you ever heard of – The 1963 Ghia 1500GT?

Italy’s roads in the late-1950s and early-1960s were dominated by one brand – Fiat. The Turin-based manufacturer was keen to make post-war Italy mobile, and as such, it was cranking out cars in big numbers. However, to do this it was focused on mobilising the masses, and that meant that despite their impressive sales numbers, there were still market niches yet to be touched by the tin fingers of Fiat. That’s where Carrozzeria Ghia comes into the story.

Italy has always and will always be the home of bespoke automotive coachbuilding. All the big names are there; Pininfarina, Zagato and of course, Ghia. Founded in 1916, Ghia has turned its talented hands to all manner or projects over the years. It’s perhaps a cruel twist of fate, then, that on UK soil our first thought is of a trim level on mid-1980s Fords. Yes, it was Ghia’s name on the side of Orions, Sierras and Capris et al, but Ghia was so, so much more than a helping hand to make a humdrum saloon a bit more luxurious. The car we’re looking at here, the 1500GT, is a fantastic example of that.

Going back to Fiat and missed market niches, Ghia saw that while Fiat was indeed mobilising a nation, it was doing so without 100% satisfaction. Not every car-buyer wanted function, some wanted form. Ghia saw that and pounced on the opportunity, though somewhat ironically, their starting point was one of Fiat’s purely functional offerings – the 1500 saloon.

The 1500 held within it, in Ghia’s opinion, great potential. The four-cylinder, 67hp engine was simple in construction, and with it, small. The rest of the running gear while not revolutionary by any means was proven and reliable. It offered Ghia the platform it needed to make something truly exciting.

The 1500GT isn’t a simple re-body though. Far from it in fact. Ghia took the sheet metal box-section frame of the 1500 Fiat and wasted no time in delicately attacking it to improve on what was there. The wheelbase was shortened to 92.1 inches from the original 95.3. A tubular front subframe was built to accommodate the suspension and steering, and finally, the engine and transmission were pushed back in order to offer near perfect weight distribution. The 1500GT wasn’t simply an exercise in aesthetics. It was also the base for proper sports car ergonomics too.

Ghia then set about building the body, and what a body it is. In the early-1960s it was rare for even the big manufacturers to play with wind tunnels, yet Ghia didn’t let such a fact stop them from using one too. As such, the body is a carefully sculpted coming together of hand-built metalwork. The flanks are clean and smooth for better airflow, the long bonnet drops down to low-set lights and grille, because that’s what the natural flow dictated. The rear is a clever work of art with its Kamm tail designed to disrupt air. Yet the whole thing, despite being so heavily influenced by aerodynamics, is so delicate. The 1500GT is not a busy car to look at, yet it is intricate and detailed, as evidenced by the chrome front grille surround that is also technically the bumper. It’s a work of art.

Inside there’s leatherette (though buyers could specify real cow hides), a beautiful Nardi wood-rim steering wheel and a brace of dials ready and willing to give the driver whatever information he or she may require. Also, despite the 1500GT’s short wheelbase, there’s no shortage of room inside the cabin. The relatively tall roofline means even the loftiest of drivers can be accommodated without inconvenience.

Admittedly the 1500GT’s weakness was the way in which it drove. The 67hp was ample given the car only weighed just shy of a tonne, however, the handling left a little to be desired. The steering was lacking in feel and responsiveness and the suspension wasn’t exactly akin to that of a true sports car. But these foibles can be forgiven. The 1500GT didn’t set out to better the sports car offerings of the time, it was there to be a thing of beauty. And that it was. It was never a car for clipping apexes.

In total 846 cars were built, and of those is the car you see here. Available for £79,000 this Ghia 1500GT offers enviable levels of exclusivity, especially if brought to England. Restored in France to original specification, this particular 1500GT is about as close as you can get to the experience buyers had back 1963. And what an experience that would be. Your very own hand-built, Italian GT car.